Aerial View, Crater Lake, Oregon

Crater Lake, Oregon is the stump of a former volcano, Mount Mazama, that once
stood about 12,000 feet high. About 7700 years ago, a huge eruption blew out so
much ash from the magma chamber beneath the volcano that the mountain could no
longer support its own weight and collapsed. The resulting hole filled with
water to a depth of almost 2,000 feet, making Crater Lake the deepest lake in
the United States and the seventh deepest in the world. After the great
eruption, small eruptions built several volcanic cones. Most never reached the
surface, but one, Wizard Island, is visible on the far side of the lake. The
lake gets its water from rain and snow, and the water escapes by evaporation and
seepage underground. There are no streams flowing into or out of the lake.